2. Man fallen in opposition to fallen Angels: When Man (though but an earthen Pitcher) fell from God, the whole Trinity seemed to be moved at it; the bowels of the Father yearned over him, and as not content with inward compassions, Grace breaks out at the Lips of the Son, Unto you, O men, do I call, saith the eternal Word, Prov. 8. 4. and (because words, such as made a World, could not do it) [Greek or Hebrew], Heb. 2. 16. He catches hold of the Humane Nature, and rather ⟨p. 174⟩than fail, he would live and bleed and die in it for our Redemption: And lest after all this Man should not catch hold of his own Salvation, out comes the holy Spirit to make sure work of it in an application of it unto us. [Greek or Hebrew], saith St. Chrysostom. When Mankind fled, and fled far from Christ, he pursued and caught hold of it: But when those Vessels of Gold, the Angels, dropped out of Heaven, there was no such matter; the Father's bowels (though of immense largeness) were shut up, not a thought of mercy rose in his heart towards them; the Son's Lips, which drop sweet smelling Myrrh unto men, let fall never a syllable of comfort unto them, he saw them tumbling down from Heaven, yet caught not hold of them: the holy Spirit would not stir a foot to recover [Greek or Hebrew], their original Rectitude for them again, that so they might be capable of staying in the holy Heavens, but down they must into Chains of darkness, such as for ever shut out every glimpse of Mercy. But why a Philanthropy rather than a Philangely? Why a Redemption for Men and not for Devils? Here men give their conjectures. ⟨p. 175⟩Man (say some) sinned by seduction, but Devils by self-motion: In the Fall of Men (say others) all the Humane Nature fell, but in the Fall of Angels all the Angelical Nature fell not. Others allege that the Sin of Angels was more damnable than Man's, because their Nature was more sublime than his. Others yet affirm, that Men are capable of Repentance, but Devils not, because whatever they once choose, they do immobiliter veil; the Devil sinneth from the beginning, 1 Joh. 3. 8. 'tis not said, he sinned, but he sinneth; because from his first Apostasy he sinneth on uncessantly. But alas! Who can limit the holy One? Might not his boundless Mercy have saved the self-tempted Devils?
2. Man fallen in opposition to fallen Angels: When Man (though but an earthen Pitcher) fell from God, the whole Trinity seemed to be moved at it; the bowels of the Father yearned over him, and as not content with inward compassions, Grace breaks out at the Lips of the Son, Unto you, O men, do I call, saith the eternal Word, Prov. 8. 4. and (because words, such as made a World, could not do it) 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Heb. 2. 16. He catches hold of the Humane Nature, and rather ⟨p. 174⟩than fail, he would live and bleed and die in it for our Redemption: And lest after all this Man should not catch hold of his own Salvation, out comes the holy Spirit to make sure work of it in an application of it unto us. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, saith St. Chrysostome. When Mankind fled, and fled far from Christ, he pursued and caught hold of it: But when those Vessels of Gold, the Angels, dropt out of Heaven, there was no such matter; the Father's bowels (though of immense largeness) were shut up, not a thought of mercy rose in his heart towards them; the Son's Lips, which drop sweet smelling Myrrh unto men, let fall never a syllable of comfort unto them, he saw them tumbling down from Heaven, yet caught not hold of them: the holy Spirit would not stir a foot to recover 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, their original Rectitude for them again, that so they might be capable of staying in the holy Heavens, but down they must into Chains of darkness, such as for ever shut out every glimpse of Mercy. But why a Philanthropy rather than a Philangely? Why a Redemption for Men and not for Devils? Here men give their conjectures. ⟨p. 175⟩Man (say some) sinned by seduction, but Devils by self-motion: In the Fall of Men (say others) all the Humane Nature fell, but in the Fall of Angels all the Angelical Nature fell not. Others alledge that the Sin of Angels was more damnable than Man's, because their Nature was more sublime than his. Others yet affirm, that Men are capable of Repentance, but Devils not, because whatever they once choose, they do immobiliter velle; the Devil sinneth from the beginning, 1 Joh. 3. 8. 'tis not said, he sinned, but he sinneth; because from his first Apostasie he sinneth on uncessantly. But alas! Who can limit the holy One? Might not his boundless Mercy have saved the selftempted Devils?
